


stand up (and face reality)

by OneDreamADay



Series: human nature [3]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Gen, lucas-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-17 19:02:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13083360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneDreamADay/pseuds/OneDreamADay
Summary: Lucas doesn’t trust the weirdo who's currently hiding in Jane’s basement(RoleSwapAU)





	1. mint

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly have so much love for lucas it's ridiculous.  
> 

    Lucas doesn’t trust the weirdo that is currently hiding in Jane’s basement at her mom’s house.

    Even without the psychic powers, Eleven - or Lev, as Jane has been calling him, is a weird freaking kid.

    Too bad he’s the only one who thinks so. Jane’s too busy having a crush on Lev to think so, and Dustin’s backing Jane and it just feels like he’s the only actually thinking about the weird crap and the trouble it might bring if Lev keeps hanging around them.

    All he wants to do is find Will, and have everything go back to normal.

    No Upside-Down, no Demogorgon, no kids who can move things with their minds.

    It's been horrible since Will went missing; Lucas feels like the Party is falling apart.

     - — -

    Lucas tries really hard to trust Lev, despite what Jane might think. He wants to, but the problem is is that there’s a sixth sense going off that Lev is hiding something important from them. He knows where Will is, but for some reason, he doesn’t want to tell them (probably so he can keep hanging around Jane, a part of him think bitterly).

    Then, while they’re trying to find the gate, Lucas figures out that Lev is using his powers to mess around with the compass and lead them back home.

    “He doesn’t want to help us find Will!” He yells at Jane, frustrated at this whole thing. “And you’re too busy liking him too see it!”

    “I don’t like him!”

    “Yes, you do! All because he’s the first boy who’s not scared of your dad to like you back!”

    Jane huffs, her face turning red. “That’s not true at all! You’re just being a jerk and not liking him for no reason!”

    They both start yelling at each other, both trying to be heard over the other. Then he feels himself being pushed back, then nothing till he comes to with Jane and Dustin looking worried and shouting his name.

    And he knows who to blame. He pushes the both of them away from him and goes home, wanting as much distance as he can get.

     - - — - - - -

    “What’s wrong with you?” Erica asks when he gets home.

    Great. One of the last people he wants to deal with right now. His mom would be a lot easier. But Erica is so bratty and doesn’t know when to leave him alone.

    “Then why do you look all sad? You lost at one of your nerd games?”

    Lucas lets out an aggravated sigh and slams his bedroom door in his sister’s face. On the other side, he can hear her complaining to their mom, but he doesn’t care. His head hurts, and he wants to be as far as from Jane, Dustin, and Lev (especially Lev) as possible. He lies on his bed, letting out a hiss of pain as he gingerly touches the sore spot on his head

    There’s a knock on his door, and his mom walks in. “What’s this about slamming doors in your sister’s face?”

    Lucas turns to look at his mom, mumbling out “She was annoying.”

    His mom gives him her ‘You Know Better’ look, one that promises future groundings and the last thing Lucas needs right now is being banned from going outside.

    “You wanna tell me what’s going on with you?” She asks, and Lucas mulls over everything, trying to figure out what to say and how to phrase it.

    He wants to tell her everything. Because suddenly this whole thing feels really overwhelming and out of their league and they need to tell an adult.

    But he remembers Lev’s warning, pointing to Jane’s forehead with his pointer and thumb in the shape of a gun.

     _‘Bad Men,” He had said and didn’t that scare the shit out of them all._

     _“You’ve seen it before?” Jane asked._

     _Lev nodded. “Man gave me food. He tried to help.” And he did the gun shape again. Lucas has no idea what he was talking about, and from Dustin’s confused look, neither did he. But Jane’s eyes widened in some sort of understanding and her face paled even further._

    So he says instead. “I got into a fight with Jane. About, you know, Will and all that.”

    His mom’s face softens altogether. “Oh, sweetie. I know this is all so sad for you.”

    Lucas nods, going along with it, though she’s not too far from the truth. “What would you do if one of your friends was gone in your group was gone, and a member was trying to replace the one that left with someone else?”

    His mom sits next to him, patting his hand in a comforting manner. “Is this what you got into a fight about?”

    “Sort of. I.. I don’t like the new person. I don’t trust him.”

    “Well, have you tried talking it out with Jane?” And wow, she’s getting right to the point.

    “I did, but she won’t listen.”

    “Well, Jim Hopper is her father, and he’s about as stubborn as a mule, so I guess that’s where she gets it from. Are you trying to listen what Jane is saying? Or is it that you both want to be the one who is right?”

    Lucas thinks it over a bit. “Probably that one,” he admits.

    “I way I see it, maybe you both should talk it out. And talk to the new person as well. Maybe you can learn something from them.”

    Lucas highly doubts that, but he’s not as upset as he was before. It’s why he likes talking to his parents; they always give good advice, even if he won’t admit that out loud anytime soon.

    “Thank, Mom.”

    She gives him a hug, and head out his room. “I’ll leave you be for a while. But you better apologize to your sister at some point today.”

    Lucas groans.

     - - - - - -

    He gathers all the thing he might need for the stakeout of the Lab. While he lets the talk with his mom simmer, he still doesn’t want to be near the two of them right now.

    But then, he sees the white vans and it starts to click that there’s trouble, and it’s heading right towards Jane, Dustin, and Lev and all he can think of is Lev’s finger gun pointing at Jane’s forehead and he’s pedaling as head as he can, shouting as loud as he can, hoping they’ll hear him in time.

    “The Bad Men! They’re coming!”

    


	2. Bonus: Olive Branch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s just Lucas and Lev in the gym, the first time they’ve been alone since the incident in the junkyard

While they wait for the adults to get back, Jane and Dustin raid the kitchen, so it’s just Lucas and Lev.

    It’s the first time they’ve been left alone, and though Lucas knows that Lev is on their side, his head hurts just thinking about what happened after he fought with Jane while looking for the gate.

    Still, the silence is awkward, so Lucas tries to break it.

    “That was pretty cool, what you did with that van.”

    Lev smiles shyly, then nods. “Dustin said it was ‘badass’.”

    Lucas snorts. “That just means it was awesome. He’s right though. It was kinda cool.” He sits next to Lev, rubbing his hand together anxiously before saying, “I was a giant butt, and I’m sorry.”

    Lev gives him a confused look, so he clarifies. “I was being mean to you, and I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to take it out on you. I was just..scared.”

    The other boy nods in understanding. He points to Lucas. “Brave. After. Warned us about the Bad Men.”

    He ducks his head, embarrassed. “And you know, you aren’t a monster. I didn’t mean that.”

    “I opened the gate.”

     Oh.

    “That wasn’t your fault.” He quickly says. “You’re not a monster. You’re a friend, my friend. A party member.”

    Lev gives him a watery smile and- oh crap, he’s about to cry and Lucas isn’t sure what he’s gonna do if Lev starts crying. But instead, he’s surprised when Lev pulls him into a tight hug and says “You’re my friend too.”

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to follow me on tumblr: onedreamaday1


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